The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-06-02
The Clergyman's Ghost.

lately been called. The quarters were
new to him, but half dozen of his
predecessors had occupied the house
which was pretty in itself, and pretti'
ly situated amid shrubbery and trees,
The place was O. smart town in north
ern Michigan. The pastor and his
wife were entertaining for day three
of Mr.. Starkey's classmates at college.
These gentlemen came up from ONO
for duck shooting on the Lake Huron
shore, and had stopped for visit to
their old schoolfellow in his new loca
ton.
After dinner visitors and hosts were
sitting in the cosy parlor while the
shades Of night deepened. The talk
was lively, and all were in the best Of
spirits, when one OF the visitors sud
denly exclaimed:
"What's that?"
OF course everybody looked at every.
body else and the visitors saw in Mrs.
Starkeye's face an expression OF annoy
ance almost amounting to distress.
IL was John Trennam who made the
exclamation. His comrades, Jack
Duceman and Henry Ketlow, demand
ing in one breath:
"WhGt is it, John?"
"What's the matter, old fellow?"
Trennam exclaimed: "Why, that
voice. Didn't you hear it, Starkeye?
A muffled sound like the-There it
goes again. Do you hear thatW
Every one had heard it this time.
A mufiied voice, truly, but the words
were plainly heard:
"Oh.h. h-h-hl DON'T"
A long dwell upon the first word, in
a sort OF crescendo wall, then an in.
stant's pause and the second word
came, short and sharp, but in a loud
er tone
"Oh-h-h.h-h! DON'T"
A woman's voice, evidently. So it
seemed to all the listeners.
Mrs. Starkeye was the first to speak.
at has come, Doyce," she said to her
husband, and the manner, not less
than her words, told that the wailing
voice was not news to them but was
dreaded by her. at least.
"Starkeye," cried Duceman, spring.
ing to his feet, with your permission
we'll lay this ghost for you. Isee it
must annoy you. Do give us leave'
All! that's right. Come, boys, let's
get to the bottom OF it. A parson
can't 90 ghost.hunting, but we can"
It was arranged that Trennam
should keep watch at the west win
dow OF the parlor. Duceman was to
stealthily station himself at the west
end OF the front porch, and Ketlow
went to the second floor room above
the parlor. A little cool headed
watching, they thought, would dis
cover something in no very long time.
They were to remain at their posts
for an hour, il nothing was found out
meanwhile, and then reassemble in
the parlors to consider further steps.
The night was not dark, but 1T was
difficult to see much around the leaf
age surrounding the parsonage. A
soughing, westerly wind came fitfully
through the trees. The friends took
their stations and hall an hour went
by, while at intervals the wailing
voice was somewhere about the west
end OF the house. But whereY Now
it sounded to Duceman on the porch
as if it were just above his head, but
the next time it was heard il seemed
to come from the top OF q silver leal
poplar that stood close to the west
end OF the house. Duceman peered
around toward the poplar, and in
his eagerness stepped off the porch
among the shrubbery.
"Oh-h-hl Don'tl"
Almost directly above his head,
Duceman thought. He was sure it
was in the poplar tree. He crept slow
" until he stood under the poplar,
and then looking intently through the
branches q dark form outlined against
the sky-a form upon the peak of the
roof and not in the tree. Duceman
was both elated and indignant at his
discovery.
al hate practical Jokes, and jokers-
especially such stupid ones as this,
and he muttered as he stole quickly
and quietly back to the porch into
the house. "I'll give that fellow a
lesson he won't forget, said Ducemar
to himself as he secured his duckins
gun and then paid a hasty visit to
Mrs. Starkeye's kitchen.
In a minute more Duceman, gun II
hand, was stealing softly around thu
west end OF the house again. There
sat the fellow on the roof, dimly seer
against the sky. Duceman raised hi
gun and fired. With loud shrek thu
figure on the roof plunged forward in
to the poplar tree. But the branches
were small and brittle and the figure
dashed thr ough them and alighted IL
the centre OF a great arbor vita. Ou
OF this again it rolled spluttering